In April we carried out a survey of game developers in Ireland asking them for their views about what Imirt's goals and focus should be. Below is a summary of the survey results to date.
Looking at the survey and from talking to the community the most mentioned goals for this organisation are “One Voice/Community” and “International Awareness”.
One Voice/Community is expressed in many ways by people but it is the idea that game development in Ireland has been held back by not having a single organisation that represents everyone.
Raising International Awareness is also mentioned very heavily as a goal for Imirt. There are many ideas about how this would be achieved but a showcase section on the Imirt website and representation at international events, particularly GDC, are mentioned most. Other things mentioned are awards and hosting events.
Another notable topic is lobbying government bodies for funding, support and tax breaks. Funding is mentioned most as the biggest challenge facing game developers in Ireland. We expect work to start on this in the 1st year but expectations are that it will take more time than this to achieve anything substantial. Work on this has been undertaken by other organisations so there will also be the possibility to partner with them.
Finally when asked what are the biggest challenges facing developers in Ireland quality is mentioned second highest after funding. A lot of the group’s goals and initiatives, such as mentoring and Imirt Awards, will focus on addressing this issue.
Here is a link to the survey if you would like to respond now. We are interested in hearing everyone's view.